Group Lead - Cell Line Development

We are seeking a skilled and motivated individual to lead an interdisciplinary team in developing the next generation of mammalian expression systems and cell lines. The ultimate goal is to enable highly productive pharmaceutical bioprocesses and contribute to the advancement of cost-effective immunotherapeutics.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management: Plan and oversee work packages to ensure key deliverables are achieved within defined timeframes. Manage a team of scientists with diverse expertise, including analytical development, vector design, and small-scale bioreactor screening. Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with team members to review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and support professional development.
• Collaboration & Communication: Foster an open and collaborative working environment by closely partnering with other group leads and team members. Prepare and deliver presentations to internal stakeholders and project teams, and actively participate in group meetings.
• Laboratory Work & Documentation: Spend approximately 50% of your time on lab-based activities. Ensure all experimental work is recorded to a high standard, maintaining data integrity and accuracy. Author Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), training documents, and risk assessments. Document findings in lab notebooks and support the preparation of health and safety protocols.
• Training & Development: Train team members to ensure a high level of technical competence and compliance with quality standards. Provide mentorship to support both technical growth and career development.
• Operational & Maintenance Responsibilities: Participate in routine laboratory maintenance, equipment upkeep, cleaning schedules, and consumables management. Share responsibility for out-of-hours cell culture maintenance as required.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay informed of relevant scientific advancements and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for process optimization and cost reduction.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related field. Bachelor’s/Master’s degree with 5+ years of industry experience, or PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Technical Expertise: Proficiency in CHO cell line development within the biopharmaceutical industry. Skilled in executing analytical methods such as HPLC/UPLC and LC-MS for antibody characterization. Experience with high-throughput and automated technologies for mammalian cell line generation (e.g., Beacon, deep well plates, Ambr15 systems). Hands-on experience with gene editing, single-cell cloning, CRISPR, and ORF library screens. Familiarity with plasmid design for stable and high-level expression of therapeutic antibodies, including bi-/tri-specific formats. Competence in molecular and cell biology techniques, such as FACS, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and ELISA. Application of Design of Experiments (DOE) for experiment planning and optimization. Experience in screening clonal cell lines for batch, fed-batch, and perfusion bioreactor systems. Proficiency in optimizing fed-batch methods for antibody production. Experience working with CHO and HEK293 cell lines in bioprocess settings.

Skills & Attributes

• Analytical mindset with advanced problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proactive, dependable, and detail-oriented.
• A team player who thrives in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.
• Passionate about innovation and continuous improvement.